Season of good will carries on during lockdown at community-minded shop

Brothers Nico and Taz Ali run the Premier convenience shop on Edinburgh Road on the Scotch Estate in Jarrow.

Along with other volunteers, including fellow community stalwart Caroline Wagstaff, the brothers are handing out 140 deliveries of bread and milk, free of charge, to households on the estate.

They are making the deliveries each Thursday and will soon be adding things like tea and biscuits to their drop-offs.

Since the covid pandemic took hold, Nico and Taz have done much to help local people get through the difficult times.

In December they gave away hundreds of curries to make sure customers were warm and fed. They also gave Christmas presents to 250 children in the local area.

But the efforts of the brothers go back much further than just Christmas, and they have made the season of good will last for 12 months a year.

At Halloween they gave out 25 drums worth of sweets as youngsters were unable to go around knocking on doors trick or treating, with help from former Sunderland footballer Pascal Chimbonda.

When the first national lockdown began in March 2020 the shop donated thousands of loaves of bread, pints of milk and other essential items to residents; and they are happy to continue their efforts. Last April they also donated 200 crates of bottled water to NHS workers.

Nico, who has run the shop for over 30 years, said: “We’ve just kept it going. Because it’s the third lockdown it’s harder for vulnerable people. So we’re trying to help as many people as we can.

“We’re also doing free deliveries to people who are paying for their groceries, but might not be able to come to the shop themselves.

“We’re concentrating more on our local area this time. The people who need our support; we’re there for them. Even if it’s just to talk with them when we’re out delivering.”

Nico declined to reveal how much all their community efforts had cost the shop.

Support your Gazette and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest football stories and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.